My wife and I and a couple of friends are really looking forward to taking the above trip soon.

We think we've got all areas covered in regards to clothing etc but have a couple of issues we're not sure about. Wonder if anyone out there could help.

1. We're having problems finding a compact 3/4 season sleeping bag that doesn't cost the earth. Could we get away with a 2/3 season bag foe early November if we had a liner and warm clothing underneath?

I'm also aware that you can hire sleeping bags in Cusco but my wife finds it difficult to sleep in the confined mummy style bag. Do you know if we could hire larger/wider sleeping bags in Cusco?

2. Our Doctor has advised us to consider taking a series of vaccinations for Rabies as we are staying for 1 night in the Amazon with a family. Any thoughts? / Experiences. Is this necessary?

Are you taking out the Exodus recommended travel insurance or using your own insurance? My bank account comes with some travel insurance - not sure whether to look into topping it up with them or contact Exodus to arrange.

I am Adel, 31, am from Cambridge and it seems like we are on the same trip. Only two weeks to gooo. Are you guys as excited as I am? This is my first Exodus trip, and will be my very first trip outside of Europe. Yay! I am travelling on my own, like you, Martin but I am really looking forward to meet with everybody.

About vaccinations: I only had yellow fever jab, out of all the recommended jabs, the nurse recommended jab for rabies, but I wasn't convinced, so I 'm not going to have it. Maybe I should have the tetanus, as I don't think I have ever had any...any opinion on this? However, I did get some malaria tablets, as mosquitoes seem to like me. :)

About sleeping bags, I have purchased a 4 season down sleeping bag, cos being quite little, I'm very sensitive to the cold. I have read in many reviews that renting bags are available, and they have very good quality sleeping bags, but best to bring lining thou.

One thing which I am behind is the insurance. I have called tesco a while ago to get a quote and they seem to have a type, which is for high altitude and includes helicopter evacuation, was around £45, which seemed quite reasonable, but not sure how reliable they are to get the insurance through them, so still looking around.

Have you both received the exodus bag? Do you know what it is for? To use it as the main luggage? Do we need it during the trip? Or it is up to us, what do we pack in, as I have planned to to use my big backpack.

Nice to hear from you Adel. This is also my first Exodus trip and will be my first visit to South America. Looking forward to meeting you all!

Here's some information about what I've looked into so far. Please let me know if there are any glaring errors here or different views.

Exodus Bag -

Adel you asked about the Exodus bag. I understand from the Trip Notes and what I've read on the website that you pack your Exodus bag inside your big case/rucksack for the flight from Heathrow. Then before the Inca Trail part of the trip the Exodus bag is whisked away, weighed (max 7kg to include sleeping bag) and will be carried between each stop on the Inca Trail by an Exodus porter. You just need to carry a day-bag each day to include items such as water and waterproofs. I don't know if you have to use the Exodus bag or if you can provide your own alternative.

Insurance -

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the insurance which comes as standard with my bank account covers me worldwide on organised treks up to 5,500 metres, including helicopter rescue and white water rafting to Grade 3. I'm not bragging, I guess I'm saying if your bank account already comes with travel insurance double check what it covers you for to see whether or not you need to take out any kind of extension on the cover or not.

Vaccines -

The trip notes say that recommended vaccines are Polio, Tetanus, Typhoid and Hepatitis A. These are all free on the NHS. It also says Yellow Fever vaccination is strongly recommended (this one cost me £55). I don't know exactly what Yellow Fever is but its name doesn't sound very pleasant so I figured I'd pay for the vaccine. Also Malaria tablets are needed (once you have your prescription Tesco is apparently a cheap place to buy the tablets).

Sleeping bag -

After reading Ivanho's concerns about the mummy style sleeping bags I thought I'd look into some different options. I called Exodus and they say for £11 you can hire a mummy style sleeping bag for the Inca Trail part of the trip for £11 and that you need to supply your own sleeping bag inner which may cost a further £11 or so (they like to know 10 days before departure if you need to hire a sleeping bag). So I figure instead of paying £22 I may just buy my own sleeping bag. Cotswold Outdoors say a 3 Season sleeping bag with a comfort level of -6/-7 would be £60 or £70. And that it's best to avoid a cheaper bag as they're bulkier and heavy. Somewhere on this website there is a voucher you can print for Cotswold Outdoor to get 15% off retail prices and I think they do 15% discount for National Trust or YHA members too.

What parts are you all most looking forward to on the trip? The Inca Trail, together with the wildlife in the Amazon are the things I'm most looking forward to. Does anyone have any handy packing tips? How much money are you planning to take and what currency!? I found the 'Reviews' section of the Inca Trail & Amazon section of this website contains loads of handy tips from people who have done the trip in the past.

I've only just now picked these messages up. Good to read your comments. I and my wife together with our two single female friends are becoming more and more excited!!! I agree with all you have said Martin. I thought the Exodus bags were a little big but I suppose they need to cover for those occasions when the traveller is unable to carry any load for whatever reason.

We are taking US dollars with us with quite a lot of small 1 dollar bills for tipping etc.

Yep, there are loads of reviews and You tube films on our trip. Good to watch. Here's a good example;

Packing List for the Inca Trail Trek

Passport – You MUST take your passport and a photocopy is not sufficient. (Keep it in a plastic bag in case of rain).

Sleeping bag - You will need a good warm sleeping bag for the Inca Trail trek. Where possible we recommend you bring your own sleeping bag, however adequate ones can be hired locally (for approx US$10) but we can take no responsibility for the standard. If you are planning to hire a bag it is a good idea to bring a silk sleeping bag liner to use inside for added warmth and comfort. A four season (or -10) bag is recommended for the winter months. At other times you will probably be fine in a 3 season (or -4/-5) bag although this depends on how much you feel the cold and is given as a guideline only. Roll mats are provided on the Inca Trail however for greater comfort and warmth, Thermorest style mattresses can also be hired in Cuzco for US$10. If you are travelling in winter and you do not wish to invest in a 4 season bag you may want to consider purchasing a 3 season bag plus a sleeping bag liner and bringing additional clothing.

Silk sleeping bag liner – Especially recommended if you plan to hire a sleeping bag but can also give your own bag added warmth

Waterproof, well worn-in walking boots - Good quality, comfortable footwear is essential. Whatever you wear on your feet the most important thing is comfort. It is vital to ensure your boots are well worn in and lightweight. Ankle support and waterproofing is recommended but if you already have something comfortable with good grip on rocks then don’t go rushing out to buy new boots – you are better off with your well worn in pair!

Waterproof clothing - A plastic poncho is recommended and can be purchased locally for approximately US$1. Some trekkers also like to bring waterproof trousers, however a poncho will usually be sufficient if it covers your bag, body and most of your legs.

Small lightweight umbrella – Light umbrellas which pack away to almost nothing can be useful to keep away drizzle.

Toilet paper - Most important! Also small plastic bags for rubbish which can then be thrown in the main rubbish bag provided by the porters.

Small towel and basic personal toiletries - there is an opportunity for a shower at the campsite on the third night so bring travel size shampoo and shower gel if you would like to use it, plus wetwipes for the rest of the trek.

Water bottle – bring one large (1.5 litre) or two or three small water bottles that can be refilled on the trail with boiled water, which will be supplied when possible.

Thank you both for clarifying things for me, it's been a real help! Martin, I managed to get the insurance through my bank as well, thanks for the tip! Ivan, I have double checked your list few times and seems I finally have got everything...I prepacked yesterday, to check if I'm under the limit of 20 kg, as it felt like I am taking too many clothes, as you said, but turned out, I'm still way under 20kg, which was a relief.

I think I will need one last thing, a spare memory card, knowing myself I won't stop clicking...aaaaa ....sooo very excited, I think my soul is already there :D :D :D

My case weighed in at 21kg including the sleeping bag, so I've shed a fleece and a few t-shirts to come in at about 19 kg. I'm probably still over-packing though. Yes thanks for the packing list Ivan :-)

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